| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 1 | 21 | 41 | 62 | 82 |
|
At home again, he and his wife sat down to talk the charming mystery
over; they were in no condition for sleep. The first question was, Who
could the citizen have been who gave the stranger the twenty dollars? It
seemed a simple one; both answered it in the same breath--
"Barclay Goodson."
"
Yes," said Richards, "he could have done it, and it would have been like
him, but there's not another in the town."
"
Everybody will grant that, Edward--grant it privately, anyway. For six
months, now, the village has been its own proper self once more--honest,
narrow, self-righteous, and stingy."
"It is what he always called it, to the day of his death--said it right
out publicly, too."
"Yes, and he was hated for it."
"Oh, of course; but he didn't care. I reckon he was the best-hated man
among us, except the Reverend Burgess."
"
Well, Burgess deserves it--he will never get another congregation here.
Mean as the town is, it knows how to estimate him. Edward, doesn't it
seem odd that the stranger should appoint Burgess to deliver the money?"
9
Page
Quick Jump
|